Independence Northwest is a support service brokerage serving nearly 600 Oregonians with developmental disabilities in the Portland tri-county area.
10/21/2025
The Oregon Department of Human Services has just released an updated Frequently Asked Questions document on the Federal government shutdown and its potential impact on November SNAP food benefits should the shutdown extend beyond October.
SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a key tool to fighting hunger in Oregon. The program helps more than […]
10/20/2025
Remember tomorrow is another webinar celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month! This week's topic is Jobs without limits: Changing EPD to help people with disabilities When: 2 - 3:15 p.m. Presented by: Disability Health and Employment Equity Coalition. For more information visit: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ORDHS/bulletins/3f63db0
Reminder for National Disability Employment Awareness Month webinars Oregon Department of Human Services sent this bulletin at 10/09/2025 10:58 AM PDT Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Información en español sobre la serie de seminarios web está en línea. Event invitation...
10/17/2025
"Oregon adjourned its 2025 full legislative session in late June with a freshly adopted two-year state budget. One week later, the federal legislature passed House Resolution 1 (HR 1), and Oregon’s budget was suddenly hundreds of millions of dollars in the red."
Learn more via the latest Oregon Community Brokerages blog post:
Oregon adjourned its 2025 full legislative session in late June with a freshly adopted two-year state budget. One week later, the federal legislature passed House Resolution 1 (HR 1), and Oregon’s budget was suddenly hundreds of millions of dollars in the red.
10/17/2025
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Though Emily Purry spent many weekends out in the waves near Salishan when she was young, it wasn't until she was 40 on a trip to Costa Rica that she
10/16/2025
DHS put out a message about these changes to Oregon's SNAP benefits on Sept 30th. Here is some additional information:
Rolling out over next year, the changes will affect hundreds of thousands of Oregonians, according to the Oregon Department of Human Services.
10/15/2025
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The Oregon travel industry is applauding a new milestone, as the state was recognized as the first to be "accessibility certified."
The Connections class will give you tools and skills to be safe and happy in your relationships!
Connections is for brokerage customers who want to strengthen their positive relationships with the people they interact with everyday. It’s also a great way to learn how to expand your circle of friends and think about dating and potentially developing intimate relationships.
Learn more by visiting our website where you can find details about the curriculum and watch a short video to learn more.
10/10/2025
Just learned about this cool podcast called ENABLE. It looks like some great topics are covered and here is one of them!
“Enable: The Disability Podcast” is a new podcast featuring stories of amazing people with disabilities and different abilities. What’s it like having mobility issues when your child has autism and sometimes gets the urge to run off? In episode 7, Josh speaks about his spinal cord injury, acce...
10/09/2025
Don't miss next week's session on Financial Planning. This is brought to you by our state partners in honor of National Disability Employment Month!
Upcoming webinars for National Disability Employment Awareness Month Oregon Department of Human Services sent this bulletin at 09/12/2025 11:00 AM PDT Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Este mensaje está publicado en línea en español. Date: September 11, 2025 To: Employment...
10/08/2025
The Autism Society of Oregon welcomes you to the Tryon Creek Nature Walk
Who: These walks are meant to be a safe space for Autistic individuals, their families, friends, and supporters to be together to enjoy and experience nature without any agenda or judgment.
What: Come and enjoy a beautiful, guided nature walk at Tryon Creek State Natural Area. The guided walks will be led by an Oregon Master Naturalist, Certified Interpretive Guide and former A*O Board member.
When: Sunday, October 12 from 1:00 to 2:30 (Adult walk - ages 18+)
Where: Tryon Creek State Natural Area: 11321 Southwest Terwilliger Boulevard Portland, OR 97219
Parking can be limited. Consider arriving early to allow time to park and join the group. Registration is FREE but advance registration is required.
For more info & to register, click the link here: https://charity.pledgeit.org/TryonCreek
If you need help getting there, or for additional questions, please contact Lori Ball at LoriB@AutismSocietyOregon.org or call 503-636-1676 during business hours (9 am - 6 pm).
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Since 2007, Independence Northwest has been serving the Oregon I/DD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) community as a support services brokerage. We provide case management, resource navigation, and connections to home and community-based supports to over 500 adults in the Portland tri-county area (Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties.) We’re a nonprofit governed by a board of directors comprised almost entirely of people with disabilities and their family members.
If you’re 18 or older, have been diagnosed with an intellectual and/or developmental disability, and you live independently or with your family in the community, you’re most likely eligible for our services. Once enrolled in services, you can choose whichever brokerage(s) serve(s) your county. Here in the Portland metro area, you have up to six different choices including Independence Northwest. Once you choose your brokerage, you then have the option to choose your own Personal Agent. If you’d like to learn more about INW’s Personal Agents, click here.
Your Personal Agent works with somewhere around 45 brokerage customers. If at any time, you’re interested in working with someone else, just let us know and we’ll help you find the right fit. When you first begin services, an assessor is responsible for reviewing your support needs and determining what state and federally-funded resources may be available for you. Once you know your benefit level, your PA will then help you find professionals to help you meet your goals. You can choose from Domestic Employees or Provider Organizations. Domestic Employees are Personal Support Workers whose rates are determined by agreement between the SEIU (union) and the state; Provider Organization rates are determined by the state. Each year, you will develop an Individual Support Plan (ISP.) Our job is to help you meet your goals – your plan says what YOU want it to say.
Brokerage services in Oregon are amongst the most progressive in the United States.
If you have questions about who we are and what we do, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are honored to serve nearly 500 customers and their families throughout the tri-county region.
